Engel on MSNBC

[snowybirdie]

now whining and wringing his hands about how much were not doing for Afghanistan. Unwatchable!

[Hoyt]

1. What would you prefer he say?

[SoonerPride]

30. "This was always inevitable"

That’s the truth.

[Hoyt]

31. Then Biden should have said that a week ago when asked if this is another Saigon.

He could have added that is dependent on Afghanistan’s government and military— which we have trained and equipped— doing their part. He didn’t.

[SoonerPride]

32. He was assured IN PERSON that the Afghan army would fight

Instead they fled

As did the president who told him that to his face

[Hoyt]

33. If true, he needs to fire them AND reassess believing what he's told.

[SoonerPride]

34. He was told by the president of Afghanistan. To his face.

And that president fled.

[Hoyt]

35. And he believed him? Christ, I don't think that is helping the case.

[SoonerPride]

37. That's why I said it was always inevitable

No matter how many troops we trained they were always going to flee.

[NewsCenter28]

38. #35, your concern is noted

A reminder that this website is not for bashing Democrats, particularly NOT THE DULY ELECTED PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES (Unless you don't think he was duly elected, that is?)

Your talking points also echo those that I would not expect to hear from the left wing of the political spectrum.

[Hoyt]

39. We can't criticize actions? I'm going to bet a number of duly elected Democrats

are letting Biden know their thoughts.

But thanks for the lecture.

[Thrill]

2. Let China and Russia save them

[FloridaBlues]

3. Yeah I felt the same way had to mute him. He didn't have any solutions. His emotions are rampant

What should the military have done stop the plan and have thousands enter not knowing who they are.
Normally Engle is better than his emotional side taking over on his reporting.

[bucolic_frolic]

4. He is obviously very upset

Surely he's made many friends there over the years, people who are asking him for help, and he cannot give any.

[BradAllison]

17. This

We're seeing the "oh fuck them" mentality today, and it's pretty depressing.

[SharonClark]

5. Engel is on the ground so his perspective

may be different from those of us viewing it remotely.

[senseandsensibility]

6. I respect him so I listened.

I don't want to be like the cult members who can't listen to anything against dear leader. It was hard to listen to, but I did. He and Clarissa Ward on CNN identify strongly with the Afghan people as befits their experience on the ground with them. That's fine and I am glad the people have a voice. I just wish that their coverage was a little more nuanced. This is not a black and white situation where there was a clear path forward that would have pleased everyone.

[BigmanPigman]

9. Yes, he and Clarissa have a lot of experience there.

[BannonsLiver]

11. American media hasn't done nuance in 40 years.

[CTyankee]

14. Engel is a fine journalist. He does great work and is honest. He works hard and doesn't do the

glamor stuff. I have deep respect for him. It sounds like he was deeply upset for the sake of these people. Cut him some slack, here. Have some empathy.

[senseandsensibility]

15. Strange response tp my post.

[Cha]

19. Yeah.. it looks like it should have been

a reply to the OP.

You have "empathy".

[senseandsensibility]

22. Thanks, Cha!

That's probably it.

[CTyankee]

40. what did I get wrong? Please, tell me...if I misconstrued something I'd like to know what it was.

I too am a bit perplexed, I guess...

[albacore]

7. I was against it from day one, but I'm wringing my hands, too...

I get to do that when a whole bunch of people are getting fucked.
That includes about 80,000 who worked for us in one capacity or other.

I don't believe Engle is saying we should stay or anything like that. I think he's just saying it's a clusterfuck...with the goat option included.

How could anybody look at those crowds jogging alongside the C-17 and NOT wring their hands?

[Irish_Dem]

8. 20 years of US fighting, also training and arming Afghans who won't fight.

What else can we do?

[regnaD kciN]

10. I'd say "get everyone out who doesn't want to live under a Taliban regime"...

...but, to be brutally obvious, we'd be talking about evacuating millions. Maybe tens of millions. How possible is that?

[Irish_Dem]

12. Right, a logistics nightmare. And where would millions of refugees go?

[cachukis]

13. If they speak English, put them on a plane out of Dodge. Guam said they'd

handle them. The Taliban need to address many issues, some of which need to be conducted in English. Would certainly slow them down. If an Afghan has learned English, they can assimilate with their rescuers. Hold them in Guam till they can be verified. Best solution. If they are in the airport, they are not allies with the Taliban.

[TheRealNorth]

16. Seriously

How many more of our service men and service women should we risk the lives of? If wouldn't want to be Biden explaining to a grieving mother or spouse that their loved one died so that our withdrawal would "look better on TV".

[renate]

18. I don't see how this wasn't MASSIVELY mismanaged

Sure we had to leave. That's not what people are upset about. Afghans who risked their lives, who saved the lives of our servicepeople, were PROMISED that they would get visas. That they would be safe, that the risk would be worth it. This is horrific. I cannot imagine what it's like to be an Afghanistan vet and to know that people you liked and trusted and who served beside you, people you had looked in the eye and given a promise that they would be okay, are going to be slaughtered horribly and publicly by the Taliban. God only knows what will happen to their families, too.

This is a Trumpian level of incompetence. There is no valid excuse. If Trump officials had presided over this clusterf***, we all would be up in arms because of the incompetence and lack of humanity. I'm not going to excuse it just because the president is a Democrat. Because it's Biden and not Trump who'd lie about whether the sky is blue, I'm willing to give credence to sworn evidence that it was absolutely unavoidable, but from what we have seen so far, there seems to be just no way it couldn't have been done better.

[Hoyt]

20. Sums it up nicely, IMO. We would have crucified trump, and rightly so. Hopefully, we'll find a

way to save as many as possible on the way out.

[Sgent]

21. Agreed

SIV and their families should have been evacuated (if desired) starting after the peace treaty was signed. I don't understand what the holdup is -- we have biometrics on these people. Scan fingerprints, get match, issue provisional visa, deal with the rest of the paperwork at a center in the US or elsewhere.

[Dial H For Hero]

23. Thank you.

[greenjar_01]

26. Excellent post

[634-5789]

24. Jake Tapper is no better on CNN. Had Ben Sasse on ther whining and bitching.

Why the hell even allow any TeapubliKKKan to speak on the subject? Awful, awful journalism on his and many others parts.

[senseandsensibility]

27. And before the speech he had Joni Ernst

on. He really is very obvious.

[greenjar_01]

25. SMDH

Sad day when Richard Engel and Jake Tapper are Public Enemies Number 1.

[rockfordfile]

29. Jake Tapper iswas a Rush limpballs friend.

[greenjar_01]

41. Oh for goodness sake

Jake Tapper's a good and decent person and a fine journalist. A bit goo-goo gaga for "The Troops," and that Outpost movie was some weirdo Western retread, but otherwise a decent guy. Reasonable people can disagree on this.

[Earth-shine]

28. I support Engel. I do not agree with this OP. nt

[Celerity]

36. de-rec nt